Air India and its low-cost arm Air India Express will operate a total of 48 scheduled and charter flights to and from the Middle East on Monday, March 16, even as the region faces major airspace restrictions due to the ongoing tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran, according to an official release.
The airlines will continue their regular services to Jeddah and Muscat. This includes 10 direct flights between Indian cities and Jeddah. Air India will run one return flight each from Delhi and Mumbai, while Air India Express will operate one flight each from Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru, the release mentioned.
Air India Express will also operate 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat. These include one flight each from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, along with two flights from Kochi. The expanded schedule comes at a time when several airlines are reducing flights due to restricted airspace in the region.
Check full list of Air India flights to and from Middle East
| Country | Airport | Scheduled Operations | Ad Hoc Operations | Operating Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Dubai | No | Yes | Air India – Delhi; Air India Express – Kochi |
| UAE | Abu Dhabi | No | Yes | Air India Express – Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai |
| UAE | Ras Al Khaimah | No | Yes | Air India Express – Delhi, Kozhikode |
| UAE | Sharjah | No | Yes | Air India Express – Kochi, Mangalore |
| UAE | Al Ain | No | No | — |
| Oman | Muscat | Yes | No | Air India Express – Delhi, Kannur, Kochi x 2, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Oman | Salalah | No | No | — |
| Saudia Arabia | Jeddah | Yes | No | Air India – Delhi, Mumbai; Air India Express – Bengaluru, Kozhikode, Mangalore |
| Saudia Arabia | Riyadh | No | Yes | Air India – Mumbai; Air India Express – Kozhikode |
IndiGo reports disruptions due to airspace restrictions
Earlier in the day, IndiGo said that airspace restrictions in Dubai have further disrupted flight operations, affecting several services between March 15 and March 17.
Because parts of Iranian and Iraqi airspace are closed, Air India has been forced to reroute its Europe and North America flights via Egypt, leading to longer travel times.
DGCA relaxes flight duty rules temporarily
Amid these disruptions, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given temporary relief in flight duty rules for Air India’s long-haul operations until April 30, according to sources quoted by PTI.
Officials said the regulator has extended the maximum flight time by 1 hour 30 minutes to 11 hours 30 minutes, while the Flight Duty Period (FDP) has been increased by 1 hour 45 minutes to 11 hours 45 minutes for flights operated with two pilots. The 30-minute roster planning buffer has also been temporarily removed.
IndiGo plans calibrated schedule
Meanwhile, IndiGo said it will follow a calibrated schedule on Monday, as part of its plan to operate 252 weekly flights to the region through the end of March.
Flights to seven cities, including Doha, Kuwait and Sharjah, will remain suspended until March 28. However, the airline is continuing daily services to six major hubs to maintain essential connectivity.
For example, IndiGo is operating three daily flights from Mumbai to Dubai and a daily direct flight from Delhi to Abu Dhabi, ensuring that key travel routes remain open.
Emirates temporarily suspends Dubai flights
Dubai-based airline Emirates also issued an update on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying that all flights to and from Dubai have been temporarily suspended.
In its message, the airline asked passengers not to travel to the airport until further updates are issued.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and will not be compromised,” the airline said while thanking customers for their patience and understanding.